United Kingdom (UK) heritage crimes 2012-2022 - statistical information for prosecution and conviction rates

Request

I am looking to acquire statistical data on the prosecution and conviction rates of heritage crimes in the UK from the years 2012-2022. In particular, I would like to know the prosecution outcomes (i.e., fine amounts and sentencing lengths).

If this particular aspect of data is not held with you, could I please be directed to the relevant person/organisation with such access.

I am seeking data relating to CPS definition of heritage crime as outlined below,

Heritage Crime

The CPS is a signatory to the Heritage and Cultural Property Crime Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which is currently being updated. The MoU defines Heritage crime as: ‘Any offence which harms the value of England’s and Wales’ heritage assets and their settings to this and future generations and includes all offences involving cultural property.’

Heritage assets include:

• Listed buildings;
• Scheduled monuments;
• Protected marine wreck sites;
• Registered Battlefields;
• Registered Parks and Gardens;
• Conservation areas;
• Protected military remains of aircraft and vessels of historic interest;
• World Heritage Sites;
• and Undesignated but acknowledged heritage buildings and sites.

Cultural property is defined in the UNESCO Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict as ‘movable or immovable property of great importance to the cultural heritage of every people’ and includes objects such as paintings, jewellery, literature, sculpture, ceramics and pottery very often found within museums, archives, libraries, and private or stately homes are also identified as heritage assets. Many heritage commodities also have an intrinsic value in that they are fashioned from precious stones, metals or other valuable materials.

The current Heritage and Cultural Property Crime priorities highlighted in the National Threat Assessment are:

• Architectural theft - in particular metal and stone
• Criminal damage - in particular damage caused by fire (‘arson’)
• Unlawful metal detecting (‘nighthawking’)
• Unlawful disturbance and salvage of maritime sites
• Anti-social behaviour - in particular fly-tipping and off-road driving
• Unauthorised works to heritage assets
• Illicit trade in cultural objects

Response

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) does hold some limited recorded information falling within the scope of your request.

Please find attached an excel spreadsheet labelled ‘11526-DATA’ and please note the data caveats therein when considering the disclosed information. This data covers the calendar years 2012 through to 2022 and concerns the number of offences in which a prosecution commenced and reached a first hearing at magistrates’ courts. There is no indication of final outcome or if the charged offence was the substantive charge at the time the case was finalised.

Furthermore, under section 16 of the FOI Act we have an obligation to advise what, if any, information may assist you with your request. The Ministry of Justice (MOJ) are the official statistics holders of sentences imposed by the courts and they publish defendant data by specific offence, which may contain more detail than we can provide.  You therefore may wish to submit a Freedom of Information request to them via the email address below: [email protected]